Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

Serves 6

16 ounces short, hollow noodles such as rigatoni or penne
1 cup whole or 2% milk, plus more as needed
1 cup sour cream, preferably full-fat 
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, preferably Frank’s, plus extra to taste 
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles 1 minute less than package directions, until just under-done. Drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, bring the milk to a gentle simmer in a medium sauce pan over moderate heat. Whisk in the sour cream, cream cheese, and buffalo sauce until smooth. Whisk in the monterey jack and blue cheese until melted and well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Combine the sauce with shredded chicken and the cooked noodles and stir until fully incorporated. (If the mixture seems a bit dry, add 1/4 cup milk as needed.) Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Combine the bread crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the casserole.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and brown on top. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

bacon wrapped chicken tenders with salad and croutons

Written by Marley Spoon Test Kitchen on May 12, 2016 in Cook

Sometimes we want a meal we can eat with our fingers, and these chicken tenders served with bite-sized croutons and crisp lettuce are perfect for just that purpose. Although bacon is salty, make sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper before wrapping.Once you’re finished cooking, pick up a tender, dip in Dijon mustard, and top with a cornichon. There’s your perfect bite. Cook, relax, and enjoy!

What you’ll need:
1 ¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken tenders
2 tsp dried oregano
6 oz bacon
1 lemon
1 ciabatta roll
4 packets Dijon mustard
1 head red leaf lettuce
3 oz cornichons
coarse salt
olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Equipment:
large skillet

Recipe steps:1. Season chicken
Season chicken tenders well all over with salt, pepper, and oregano. Count number of tenders and number of bacon strips. If necessary cut bacon strips in half to get enough bacon to wrap around each chicken tender.

2. Wrap with bacon
Wrap 1 piece or 1 half of a piece of bacon around each tender.

3. Cook chicken
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken tenders to skillet (may need to do in batches) and cook until browned on bottom, 3–4 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side, 3–4 minutes more. Remove from skillet and cook second batch if necessary. Transfer to a platter and squeeze juice of half of the lemon over the top. Reserve skillet.

4. Make croutons
Tear roll into bite sized pieces. Reheat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add bread pieces and cook, stirring until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and season with salt and pepper.

5. Make dressing
Squeeze juice from remaining lemon half into a bowl. Whisk in 1 packet (1¼ teaspoons) Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons oil. Separate lettuce leaves then wash and spin dry.

6. Finish
Toss lettuce with croutons and serve drizzled with dressing alongside platter of chicken, remaining Dijon mustard (1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon), and cornichons. Enjoy!